Luggage

ABSTRACT

A luggage includes a case body unit, a guide unit defining a hollow first guide rail, and a handle unit including a first coupling member and a first rod body that has a bottom end portion connected pivotally to the first coupling member. The handle unit is movable along the guide unit between a retracted position, where the first rod body is substantially retained in the first guide rail and where the first coupling member is adjacent to a bottom end of the first guide rail, and an extended position, where the first coupling member is adjacent to a top end of the first guide rail and where the bottom end portion is disposed out of the first guide rail, such that the first rod body is permitted to be pivoted relative to the first coupling member.

FIELD

The disclosure relates to a luggage, and more particularly to a luggage having a telescopic handle rod.

BACKGROUND

Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional collapsible luggage includes a rigid base seat 10, four wheels 11 (only three wheels 11 are visible) disposed under the base seat 10, a flexible case body 12, a hinge 13, and a telescopic handle unit 14. The hinge 13 has a first connecting portion 131 securely connected to the base seat 10, and a second connecting portion 132 pivotally connected to the first connecting portion 131. The handle unit 14 has a rod frame 141 disposed on the case body 12 and having a bottom portion that is connected to the hinge 13, and a handle grip 142 inserted into the rod frame 141 and telescopically movable along the rod frame 141, such that the length of the handle unit 14 can be adjusted.

The rod frame 141 and the handle grip 142 are rigid, and extend vertically when the conventional luggage is normally placed with the four wheels 11 contacting the ground. Referring to FIG. 2, when a user holds the telescopic handle unit 14 to wheel the conventional luggage 1 forward, the luggage 1 is tilted with two of the wheels 11 (only one is visible) being lifted from the ground, which may cause instability. Moreover, the user may find it inconvenient to constantly apply additional forces to keep such tilted conventional luggage 1 throughout his/her travel.

SUMMARY

Therefore, an object of the disclosure is to provide a luggage that can alleviate at least one of the drawbacks associated with the abovementioned prior art.

Accordingly, the luggage includes a case body unit, a guide unit, and a handle unit. The guide unit is mounted to the case body unit and defines a hollow first guide rail that extends in an up-down direction. The handle unit includes a first coupling member and a handle rod. The handle rod has a first rod body extending in the up-down direction and having a bottom end portion that is connected pivotally to the first coupling member. The handle unit is movable along the guide unit between a retracted position and an extended position. When the handle unit is at the retracted position, the first rod body is substantially retained in the first guide rail, and the first coupling member is adjacent to a bottom end of the first guide rail. When the handle unit is at the extended position, the first coupling member is adjacent to a top end of the first guide rail, the bottom end portion of the first rod body is disposed out of the first guide rail, such that the first rod body is permitted to be pivoted relative to the first coupling member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent in the following detailed description of the embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional collapsible luggage;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the conventional collapsible luggage in state of use;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a luggage according to the present disclosure, illustrating a handle unit of the first embodiment at a retracted position;

FIG. 4 is another perspective view of the first embodiment, illustrating the handle unit at an extended position;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a guide unit, a connecting unit, a handle unit, and a top seat of the first embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the connecting unit and the handle unit of the first embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the top seat of the first embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 7, but illustrating the handle unit at the extended position;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line X-X in FIG. 7;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line XI-XI in FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a schematic view of the embodiment, illustrating wheels of the first embodiment being in contact with a ground and the handle unit being at the extended position;

FIG. 13 is a partly sectional view of a second embodiment of the luggage according to the present disclosure, illustrating the handle unit at the retracted position;

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary and partly sectional view of the second embodiment, illustrating the handle unit at the extended position;

FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of a guide unit, a connecting unit, a handle unit, and a top seat of a third embodiment of the luggage according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the connecting unit and the handle unit of the third embodiment;

FIG. 17 is a fragmentary sectional view of the connecting unit and the handle unit of the third embodiment when the handle unit is at the retracted position;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the top seat of the third embodiment;

FIG. 19 is a fragmentary sectional view of the connecting unit and the handle unit of the third embodiment when the handle unit is at the extended position; and

FIGS. 20 and 21 are fragmentary perspective views of guide unit, the handle unit, and the top seat when the handle unit is at the extended position, illustrating a first rod body of a handle rod being pivoted relative to a first coupling member of the handle rod.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it should be noted that where considered appropriate, reference numerals or terminal portions of reference numerals have been repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements, which may optionally have similar characteristics.

Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, a first embodiment of a luggage according to the disclosure includes a case body unit 2, a guide unit 3, a connecting unit 4, a handle unit 5, and a top seat 6.

The case body unit 2 includes a base seat 21, four wheels 22 (only three are visible in FIGS. 3 and 4) rotatably disposed on a bottom portion of the base seat 21, and a case body 23 connected to the base seat 21. In this embodiment, the case body 23 is flexible and is collapsible to be stored into an inner space of the base seat 21.

The guide unit 3 includes a first rail member 31 and two symmetrical lateral members 32 respectively connected to opposite sides of the first rail member 31. The first rail member 31 defines a hollow first guide rail 311 that extends in an up-down direction (Z), and is formed with two opposite connecting holes 312 that are adjacent to a bottom end of the first rail member 31. In this embodiment, the guide unit 3 is mounted to an inner surface of the case body 23.

Referring to FIGS. 4 to 7, the connecting unit 4 includes a fixing member 41, a mounting member 42, a linking member 43, and two fastening members 45. The fixing member 41 is upright and is connected to an inner surface of the base seat 21 of the case body unit 2. The mounting member 42 is connected to the bottom end of the first rail member 31, and has a first seat portion 44 that is inserted into the first guide rail 311 of the first rail member 31. The linking member 43 interconnects the fixing member 41 and the mounting member 42, and has a thickness smaller than that of the fixing and mounting members 41, 42, such that the mounting member 42 is bendable relative to the fixing member 41.

The first seat portion 44 has opposite seat bodies 441. Each of the seat bodies 441 has an upright main segment 442, an external tubular segment 443 extending from an outer surface of the main segment 442, an internal tubular segment 444 extending from an inner surface of the main segment 442, and a through hole 445 extending through the external tubular segment 443, the main segment 442, and the internal tubular segment 444. The main segments 442 of the seat bodies 441 cooperatively define a receiving groove 440. The external tubular segment 443 of each of the seat bodies 441 is inserted into a respective one of the connecting holes 312 of the first rail member 31. The fastening members 45 respectively engage the through holes 445 of the seat bodies 441.

In this embodiment, the connecting unit 4 is manufactured by plastic injection molding process. By virtue of the linking member 43 having a smaller thickness, the mounting member 42 is bendable relative to the fixing member 41, so that the connecting unit 4 can serve as a hinge. In comparison with the hinge 13 of the aforesaid conventional collapsible luggage 1, the connecting unit 4 has a simpler structure. When the luggage of this embodiment is in use (i.e., when the case body 23 is not collapsed), the fixing member 41 is substantially perpendicular to the mounting member 42. After the case body 23 is collapsed, the fixing and mounting members 41, 42 overlap each other. It should be noted that the thickness of the linking member 43 may only be smaller than that of the fixing member 41 in other embodiments.

Referring to FIGS. 5 to 7, the handle unit 5 includes a handle rod 51 and a first coupling member 52. The handle rod 51 has a first rod body 53 extending in the up-down direction (Z) and having a bottom end portion 531 that is connected pivotally to the first coupling member 52, and a handle 54 connected to a top end of the first rod body 53. In this embodiment, the first coupling member 52 has a base wall 521, an upright wall 522 extending upwardly from the base wall 511, and two first stop portions 524 extending respectively from opposite sides of the base wall 521. The base wall 521 has a bottom surface formed with two notches 523 that are spaced apart from each other. The bottom end portion 531 of the first rod body 53 has two spaced-apart pivot segments 532 that flank and are pivotally connected to the upright wall 522. Each of the pivot segments 532 is substantially formed as a semicircle.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the top seat 6 is disposed on a top portion of the guide unit 3. The top seat 6 includes a surrounding wall 61 and a tubular wall 62. The surrounding wall 61 has a top portion formed with a storage groove 60 that has a top opening. The surrounding wall 61 further has a bottom wall portion 63, a front wall portion 64 extending upwardly from the bottom wall portion 63, and a rear wall portion 65 opposite to the front wall portion 64 and extending upwardly from the bottom wall portion 63. The storage groove 60 is defined by top portions of the bottom wall portion 63, the front wall portion 64 and the rear wall portion 65 (which constitute the top portion of the surrounding wall 61). The bottom wall portion 63 defines a first opening 631 that is in spatial communication with the storage groove 60 and the first guide rail 311. The front wall portion 64 has an inclined chamfered surface 641 formed on a top end thereof, and two spaced-apart ribs 642 protruding into the storage groove 60 and connected to a bottom edge of the chamfered surface 641. The rear wall portion 65 has two spaced-apart retaining blocks 651 protruding into the storage groove 60. The tubular wall 62 of the top seat 6 extends from a bottom surface of the bottom wall portion 63 of the surrounding wall 61 into the first guide rail 311, and defines an engaging hole 621 that is in spatial communication with the first opening 631 of the surrounding wall 61 and the first guide rail 311.

The handle unit 5 is movable along the first guide rail 311 of the guide unit 3 between a retracted position (see FIG. 3) and an extended position (see FIG. 4).

Referring to FIGS. 3, 7, and 10, in this embodiment, when the handle unit 5 is at the retracted position, the handle 54 has a portion being in frictional contact with the retaining blocks 651 to thereby be retained in the storage groove 60 of the top seat 6. The first rod body 53 is substantially retained in the first guide rail 311 of the guide unit 3 with the bottom end portion 531 being entirely retained in the first guide rail 311. The first coupling member 52 is entirely retained in the first guide rail 311 and is adjacent to a bottom end of the first guide rail 311. The base wall 521 and the first stop portions 524 of the first coupling member 52 are received in the receiving groove 440 of the first seat portion 44 of the mounting member 42. The inner tubular segments 444 of the seat bodies 441 are respectively retained in the notches 523 of the first coupling member 52.

Referring to FIGS. 4, 9, and 11, when the handle unit 5 is at the extended position, the first coupling member 52 is at a top end of the first guide rail 311 with the first stop portions 524 being disposed outside of the first guide rail 311 and in the engaging hole 621 of the tubular wall 62 of the top seat 6. Specifically, the first stop portions 524 of the first coupling member 52 abut against the bottom surface of the bottom wall portion 63 of the top seat 6. The bottom end portion 531 of the first rod body 53 is disposed out of the first guide rail 311, such that the first rod body 53 is permitted to be pivoted relative to the first coupling member 52 until the bottom end portion 531 abuts against the chamfered surface 641 of the front wall portion 64 of the top seat 6. In other words, the pivotal movement of the first rod body 53 is limited due to the configuration of the chamfered surface 641. The ribs 642 of the front wall portion 64 are in abutment with the upright wall 522 of the first coupling member 52, thus the first coupling member 52 can be positioned stably at the extended position.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 12, when the handle unit 5 is at the extended position and is pivoted, a user can hold the handle 54 to wheel the luggage of the embodiment. During the movement of the luggage, all of the wheels 22 are remained in contact with the ground and the case body unit 2 is prevented from tilting, thereby facilitating movement of the luggage.

With the above description, the advantage of the luggage according to the present disclosure can be summarized in the following:

1. By virtue of the configuration of the first rod body 53 and the first coupling member 52, the first rod body 53 is pivotable when the handle unit 5 is at the extended position. Unlike the aforesaid conventional collapsible luggage 1, when the user moves the luggage of the embodiment, the case body unit 2 stays balanced with all of the wheels 22 being in contact with the ground, thus the user can carry the luggage in an easier way.

2. The configuration of the chamfered surface 641 of the top seat 6 can prevent excessive pivotal movement of the first rod body 53.

3. Since the thickness of the linking member 43 is designed to be smaller than that of the fixing member 42, the connecting unit 4 is substantially a hinge having a simple structure.

4. When the handle unit 5 is at the retracted position, the retaining blocks 651 of the top seat 6 is in frictional contact with the handle 54, so as to prevent unintentional release of the handle 54 from the storage groove 60.

Referring to FIGS. 13 and 14, a second embodiment of the luggage has a structure similar to that of the first embodiment. The main difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment resides in the following. The guide unit 3 further includes a second rail member 33 defining a hollow second guide rail 331 that is parallel to the first guide rail 311, and an intermediate member 34 interconnecting the first and second rail members 31, 33. The lateral members 32 are symmetrical to each other with respect to the intermediate member 34, and respectively connected to the first and second rail members 31, 33.

The connecting unit 4 further includes a second seat portion 46 that has a structure identical to the first seat portion 44.

The handle unit 5 further includes a second coupling member 56. The handle rod 51 of the handle unit 5 further has a second rod body 55 parallel to the first rod body 53 and having a bottom end portion 551 that is connected pivotally to the second coupling member 56. The structure of the second coupling member 56 is identical to that of the first coupling member 52, and the structure of the second rod body 55 is identical to that of the first rod body 53. The top seat 6 includes two identical tubular walls 62. One of the tubular walls 62 defines an engaging hole 621 being in spatial communication with the storage groove 60 and the first guide rail 311, and for extension of the first rod body 53 therethrough. The other one of the tubular walls 62 defines another engaging hole 621 being in spatial communication with the storage groove 60 and the second guide rail 331, and for extension of the second rod body 55 therethrough.

The first and second rod bodies 53, 55 move respectively along the first and second guide rails 311, 331 during movement of the handle unit 5 between the retracted position (see FIG. 13) and extended position (see FIG. 14).

Like the first rod body 53 and the first coupling member 52, when the handle unit 5 is at the retracted position, the second rod body 55 is substantially retained in the second guide rail 331 with the bottom end portion 551 being entirely disposed in the second guide rail 331, and the second coupling member 56 is entirely disposed in the second guide rail 331 and is adjacent to a bottom end of the second guide rail 331. When the handle unit 5 is at the extended position, the second coupling member 56 is adjacent to a top end of the second guide rail 331, and the bottom end portion 551 of the second rod body 55 is disposed out of the second guide rail 331, such that the second rod body 55 is permitted to be pivoted relative to the second coupling member 56. The chamfered surface 641 is configured to have a width sufficient for abutment of the bottom end portions 531, 551 of the first and second rod bodies 53, 55.

In summary, the second embodiment has the same advantages as those of the first embodiment. Furthermore, the addition of the second guide rail 331, the second rod body 55, and the second coupling member 56 enhance the structure of the handle unit 5, which can improve the stability of the luggage in use.

As shown in FIGS. 15 to 17, a third embodiment of the luggage has a structure similar to that of the first embodiment. The main difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment resides in the following.

In this embodiment, the guide unit 3 only has the first rail member 31 defining the hollow first guide rail 311. The first guide rail 311 is substantially rectangular and extends in the up-down direction (Z). The lateral member 32 disclosed in the first embodiment is omitted.

The connecting unit 4 has only one seat body 441 which has only one tubular main segment 442. The main segment 442 defines the receiving groove 440. The external and internal tubular segments 443, 444, the through holes 445, and the fastening members 45 disclosed in the first embodiment are omitted. A bottom end portion of the first rail member 31 is inserted fittingly into the receiving groove 440 so as to secure the first rail member 31 onto the seat body 441.

The bottom end portion 531 of the first rod body 53 of the handle unit 5 has two spaced-apart pivot segments 532. Each of the pivot segments 532 is substantially formed as a semicircle. The bottom endportion 531 further has a plurality of angularly spaced-apart protrusions 533 formed on bottom surfaces of the pivot segments 532. The first coupling member 52 further has two engaging blocks 525 protruding upwardly from the base wall 511 and flanking the upright wall 522. The notches 523 disclosed in the first embodiment are omitted.

Referring to FIGS. 18 and 19, the top seat 6 further includes an abutment member 66 protruding from rear wall portion 65 of the surrounding wall 61 into the storage groove 60, and the ribs 642 and the retaining blocks 651 disclosed in the first embodiment are omitted. The tubular wall 62 surrounds the first guide rail 311.

As shown in FIGS. 19 to 21, in this embodiment, when the handle unit 5 is at the extended position, the first coupling member 52 abuts against the abutment member 66, so that the first rod body 53 of the handle rod 51 can be pivoted relative to the first coupling member 52 to the extent that the bottom end portion 531 of the first rod body 53 abuts against the chamfered surface 641 of the front wall portion 64 of the top seat 6. At this time, each of the engaging blocks 525 is retained in a space between an adjacent pair of the protrusions 533 that are formed on a respective one of the pivot segments 532, thereby further positioning the first rod body 53 relative to the first coupling member 52. It should be noted that, due to the manufacturing tolerance of the elements and the flexibility of the first coupling member 52 which is made of plastic, the pivot movement of the first rod body 53 relative to the first coupling member 52 can be performed without interference between the engaging blocks 525 and the protrusions 533.

In the description above, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details have been set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiment. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that one or more other embodiments maybe practiced without some of these specific details. It should also be appreciated that reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” an embodiment with an indication of an ordinal number and so forth means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic may be included in the practice of the disclosure. It should be further appreciated that in the description, various features are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of various inventive aspects.

While the disclosure has been described in connection with what are considered the exemplary embodiments, it is understood that his disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A luggage comprising: a case body unit; a guide unit mounted to said case body unit and defining a hollow first guide rail that extends in an up-down direction; and a handle unit including a first coupling member, and a handle rod that has a first rod body extending in the up-down direction and having a bottom end portion that is connected pivotally to said first coupling member, said handle unit being movable along said guide unit between a retracted position and an extended position; wherein, when said handle unit is at the retracted position, said first rod body is substantially retained in said first guide rail, and said first coupling member is adjacent to a bottom end of said first guide rail; and wherein, when said handle unit is at the extended position, said first coupling member is adjacent to a top end of said first guide rail, said bottom end portion of said first rod body is disposed out of said first guide rail, such that said first rod body is permitted to be pivoted relative to said first coupling member.
 2. The luggage as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said luggage further comprising a top seat disposed on a top portion of said guide unit, and including a surrounding wall that has a top portion formed with a storage groove, said storage groove having a top opening, said top portion of said surrounding wall having an inclined chamfered surface; and when said handle unit is at the extended position, said bottom end portion of said first rod body is permitted to be pivoted to abut against said chamfered surface.
 3. The luggage as claimed in claim 2, wherein: said surrounding wall of said top seat further has a bottom wall portion defining a first opening that is in spatial communication with said first guide rail and said storage groove, a front wall portion extending upwardly from said bottom wall portion and having said chamfered surface, and a rear wall portion opposite to said front wall portion and extending upwardly from said bottom wall portion; and said first coupling member of said handle unit has opposite first stop portions abutting against a bottom surface of said bottom wall portion of said surrounding wall when said handle unit is at the extended position.
 4. The luggage as claimed in claim 3, wherein: said rear wall portion of said surrounding wall of said top seat has two spaced-apart retaining blocks protruding into said storage groove; said handle rod of said handle unit further has a handle connected to a top end of said first rod body; and when said handle unit is at the retracted position, said handle has at least a portion being in frictional contact with said retaining blocks to thereby be retained in said storage groove.
 5. The luggage as claimed in claim 4, wherein: said top seat further includes a tubular wall extending from said bottom surface of said bottom wall portion of said surrounding wall into said first guide rail, and defining an engaging hole that is in spatial communication with said first opening of said surrounding wall and said first guide rail; and when said handle unit is at the extended position, said first stop portions of said first coupling member are disposed in said engaging hole.
 6. The luggage as claimed in claim 2, wherein, when said handle unit is at the retracted position, said bottom end portion of said first rod body and said first coupling member are entirely disposed in said first guide rail of said guide unit.
 7. The luggage as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said guide unit further defines a hollow second guide rail parallel to said first guide rail; said handle unit further includes a second coupling member; said handle rod of said handle unit further has a second rod body parallel to said first rod body, and having a bottom end portion that is connected pivotally to said second coupling member; said first and second rod bodies move respectively along said first and second guide rails during movement of said handle unit between the retracted and extended positions; when said handle unit is at the retracted position, said second rod body is substantially retained in said second guide rail, and said second coupling member is adjacent to a bottom end of said second guide rail; and when the handle unit is at the extended position, said second coupling member is adjacent to a top end of said second guide rail, said bottom end portion of said second rod body is disposed out of said second guide rail, such that said second rod body is permitted to be pivoted relative to said second coupling member.
 8. The luggage as claimed in claim 7, wherein: said luggage further comprising a top seat disposed on a top portion of said guide unit, and including a surrounding wall that has a top portion formed with a storage groove, said storage groove having a top opening, said top portion of said surrounding wall having an inclined chamfered surface; and when said handle unit is at the extended position, said bottom end portions of said first and second rod bodies are permitted to be pivoted to abut against said chamfered surface.
 9. The luggage as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a connecting unit including: a fixing member that is connected to said case body unit; a mounting member that is connected to a bottom end of said guide unit; and a linking member that interconnects said fixing member and said mounting member, and that has a thickness smaller than that of said fixing member such that said mounting member is bendable relative to said fixing member.
 10. The luggage as claimed in claim 9, wherein said guide unit includes: a first rail member defining said first guide rail and having a bottom end that is connected to said mounting member of said connecting unit; and two symmetrical lateral members respectively connected to opposite sides of said first rail member.
 11. The luggage as claimed in claim 10, wherein: said first rail member is formed with two connecting holes adjacent to said bottom end of said first rail member; said mounting member of said connecting unit has a first seat portion inserted into said first guide rail of said first rail member and having opposite seat bodies, each of which has an upright main segment, an external tubular segment that extends from an outer surface of said main segment, and that is inserted into a respective one of said connecting holes of said first rail member, an internal tubular segment that extends form an inner surface of said main segment, and a through hole that extends through said external tubular segment, said main segment, and said internal tubular segment; said connecting unit further includes two fastening members respectively engaging said through holes of said seat bodies; and said main segments of said seat bodies cooperatively define a receiving groove, said first coupling member having at least a portion received in said receiving groove when said handle unit is at the retracted position. 